with the civil government. This was their defign; and Chrift's behaviour throughout the whole affair proceeded from a knowledge of this defign, and a determination to defeat it. He gives them at first a cold and fullen reception, well fuited to the infidious intention with which they came: "He ftooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he "heard them not.' "When they continued afking him," when they teafed him to fpeak, he difmiffed them with a rebuke, which the impertinent malice of their errand, as well as the fecret character of many of them, deserved: " He "that is without fin (that is, this fin) among you, let him first caft a flone at her." This had its effect. Stung with the reproof, and difappointed of their aim, they stole away one by one, and left Jefus and the woman alone. And then follows the converfation, which is the part of the narrative moft material to our prefent fubject. Jefus faith unto her, Woman, where "are thofe thine accufers? hath no man con"demned thee? She faid, No man, Lord. And 66 Jefus faid unto her, Neither do I condemn "thee; go and fin no more." Now, when Chrift afked the woman, "Hath no man con“demned thee?" he certainly spoke and was understood derstood by the woman to speak, of a legal and judicial condemnation; otherwise, her answer, "No man, Lord," was not true. In every other fenfe of condemnation, as blame, cenfure, reproof, private judgment, and the like, many had condemned her; all thofe indeed who brought her to Jefus. If then a judicial sentence was what Chrift meant by condemning in the question, the common ufe of language requires us to fuppofe that he meant the fame in his reply, "Neither do I condemn thee," i. e. I pretend to no judicial character or authority over thee; it is no office or bufinefs of mine to pronounce or execute the sentence of the law. When Chrift adds, "Go and fin no more," he in effect tells her, that fhe had finned already; but as to the degree or quality of the fin, or Chrift's opinion concerning it, nothing is declared, or can be inferred, either way. Adultery, which was punished with death. during the Ufurpation, is now regarded by the law of England only as a civil injury; for which the imperfect fatisfaction that money can afford, may be recovered by the husband. CHAP, CHAP. V. INCEST. IN N order to preferve chastity in families, and between perfons of different fexes brought up and living together in a ftate of unreferved intimacy, it is neceffary by every method poffible to inculcate an abhorrence of inceftuous conjunctions; which abhorrence can only be upheld by the abfolute reprobation of all commerce of the fexes between near relations. Upon this principle, the marriage as well as other cohabitation of brothers and fifters, of lineal kindred, and of all who ufually live in the fame family, may be said to be forbidden by the law of nature. Reftrictions which extend to remoter degrees, of kindred than what this reafon makes it neceffary to prohibit from intermarriage, are founded in the authority of the pofitive law which ordains ordains them, and can only be juftified by their tendency to diffufe wealth, to connect families, or to promote fome political advantage. The Levitical law, which is received in this country, and from which the rule of the Roman law differs very little, prohibits * marriage between relations within three degrees of kindred; computing the generations not from but through the common anceftor, and accounting affinity the fame as confanguinity. The iffue, however, of fuch marriages are not baftardized, unless the parents be divorced during their lifetime. The Egyptians are faid to have allowed of the marriage of brothers and fifters. Amongst the Athenians a very fingular regulation prevailed; brothers and fifters of the half blood, if related by the father's fide, might marry; if by the mother's fide, they were prohibited from marrying. The fame cuftom alfo probably obtained in Chaldea fo early as the age *The Roman law continued the prohibition to the defcendants of brothers and fifters without limits. In the Le vitical and English law, there is nothing to hinder a man from marrying his great niece. |